Invertebrate animals are defined as animals without backbones. These animals range from the soft bodied sponges and worms to the hard exoskeletoned lobsters and insects.
Sea Sponge
Jellyfish
Sea Anemone
Worm
Invertebrates
Characteristics
Sponges
Bodies full of holes and a skeleton made of spiky fibers. Sponges cannot move so trap animals floating in the water through their "holes".
Corals,
Hydras,
Sea Anemone
Jellyfish
This group has soft tube-like body with a single opening surrounded by armlike parts called tentacles. The tentacles (sometimes poisoned) are used to catch food.
Worms
Tube shaped animals found in land or water environments. Body shapes describe subgroups suck as flatworm, roundworm, and
segmented worms.
Starfish
Sea Urchin
Animals with tiny tube feet arranged around a central body part.
Mollusk
Clam
Snail
Octopus
Squid
Animals with a hard shell, rough tongue, and muscular foot/feet. Octopus and squid have small shells inside their bodies.
Arthropods
Lobsters
Crabs
Insects
Spiders
Centipedes
Millipedes
Animals with jointed legs and hard exoskeleton (no internal bones in their body). Arthropods need to shed their old exoskeleton (molt) in
order to grow larger with a new exoskeleton. Over 1 million different types of Arthropods.
Insect subgroup has three body parts, 6 legs, and can fly. Insects go through a complete metamorphosis (egg-larva-pupa-adult)
Spider subgroup has two body parts and 8 legs. They have fangs and jaws.
Centipedes and Millipedes have have multiple body parts and legs. Centipedes have 175 legs and are carnivores while Millipedes have 240 legs and are herbivores.
Invertebrate animals are defined as animals without backbones. These animals range from the soft bodied sponges and worms to the hard exoskeletoned lobsters and insects.
Invertebrates
Characteristics
Sponges
Bodies full of holes and a skeleton made of spiky fibers. Sponges cannot move so trap animals floating in the water through their "holes".
Corals,
Hydras,
Sea Anemone
Jellyfish
This group has soft tube-like body with a single opening surrounded by armlike parts called tentacles. The tentacles (sometimes poisoned) are used to catch food.
Worms
Tube shaped animals found in land or water environments. Body shapes describe subgroups suck as flatworm, roundworm, and
segmented worms.
Starfish
Sea Urchin
Animals with tiny tube feet arranged around a central body part.
Mollusk
Clam
Snail
Octopus
Squid
Animals with a hard shell, rough tongue, and muscular foot/feet. Octopus and squid have small shells inside their bodies.
Arthropods
Lobsters
Crabs
Insects
Spiders
Centipedes
Millipedes
Animals with jointed legs and hard exoskeleton (no internal bones in their body). Arthropods need to shed their old exoskeleton (molt) in
order to grow larger with a new exoskeleton. Over 1 million different types of Arthropods.
Insect subgroup has three body parts, 6 legs, and can fly. Insects go through a complete metamorphosis (egg-larva-pupa-adult)
Spider subgroup has two body parts and 8 legs. They have fangs and jaws.
Centipedes and Millipedes have have multiple body parts and legs. Centipedes have 175 legs and are carnivores while Millipedes have 240 legs and are herbivores.